Blackhawks’ Jones & Vlasic Successful Pair Benefiting From Past

When asked about the excitement for what’s coming for the defense and speaking on Vlasic, Jones said, “Vlasy [Alex Vlasic], you know, playing with him all year, just tremendous steps. I mean, I played with [Zach] Werenski when he was 21-years-old, and, you know, they’re different players, but you see the same stuff you’re seeing there. I am, personally.”

Frankly, this may have cracked a code for the Blackhawk’s future success, and I’ll explain why.

The Jones and Werenski Playbook

A lot of hockey fans may remember Jones’ time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He was there for six years before getting traded to the Hawks in 2021, and that period was significant because he played some of his best hockey there. He had the best season of his career in 2017-18, with 57 points in 78 games and finishing fourth in the Norris Trophy voting. For Werenski, he was a Calder Trophy finalist in 2017, and they became the team’s go-to pairing. As they went, Columbus went.

It makes you wonder why they worked so well together, so I contacted my Blue Jackets colleague, Mark Scheig, and asked him to give me the 4-1-1 on Werenski’s game. He replied, “Werenski is known as a puck-moving, offense-first defenseman who has improved defensively. Smooth skater. High IQ player. He and Jones were perfect for each other since Jones could cover for him early in his career. Werenski is good at finding his shot and is not afraid to drive the net.”

At first, I had a hard time relating that description to Alex Vlasic since he is more of a defensive defenseman, and Werenski is more offensive-minded. You could take similarities in good puck movement for both players. However, I realized now that the correlation is less about on-ice play and more about off-ice.

Looking back at what Werenski said about his and Jones pairing in 2017, he mentioned, “He’s such a great vet for such a young age.” Werenski continued, “It’s easy to interact with him and talk with him, and I think our friendship off the ice just carried over onto the ice, and I think it’s a big reason why we had success as a pair.”

Keep that in mind as we get to Vlasic.

The Jones and Vlasic Playbook

When it comes to how Jones and Vlasic played together, they just worked all season long as the team’s top defensive pair. The Blackhawks’ defense was a sore spot all season, but Vlasic and Jones showed a lot of promise, even as far as being able to contain some of the best offenses in the NHL, like the Winnipeg Jets. Although the scores wouldn’t show it most nights, the pairing became head coach Luke Richardson’s bread and butter. Richardson explained that their size and range make it difficult to play against.

Jones did an interview with Joe Brand and ‘Blackhawks Live‘ on WGN Radio in February, and he was asked what it was like being able to gel with Vlasic and how fun that’s been, and he said:

“It’s something I’ve really only had one other time in my career, and that was with Werenski. So I was able to be with Werenski his rookie season when he came into the league with Columbus, and right from the start, he was just a skating defenseman. He was offensive, and we just completely gelled; we clicked, and you don’t find that very often with a d-partner. You see a lot of mix-matching with partners. One year, you’ll be with one guy, and the next year, you’ll be with another guy, and that’s kind of how it works. I was able to be with Zach for a little over five years, but I have that same feeling with Alex. Some things are just left unsaid. You don’t need to talk about some things and they just naturally happen, and I’m hoping he can feel that, and I can definitely feel that. So, it’s been pretty special so far.”

During the exit interview, Jones said that Vlasic often came to him during the second half of the season, telling him how exhausted he was playing close to 23 to 24 minutes a night. Jones was trying to “give him pointers” to help him regain his energy for games, and he said he hopes he has helped him and the other young defensemen throughout the season, as well.

Communication and chemistry mean everything to hockey players, which is important for Jones’ leadership and for Vlasic’s growth into a full-time NHL player. It also makes sense when you put it all together. Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook always said the key to their historic pairing was due to their off-ice bond. Philipp Kurashev and Connor Bedard clicked in the same way, as did Joey Anderson and Jason Dickinson this season. Once you find the right combination, it’s the first step to team success.

Expectations for the Jones and Vlasic Pairing

Since Jones joined the Blackhawks, fans have often wondered what the key to getting him back to his Norris-level self would take, and I think he inadvertently answered the question when referring to Werenski and Vlasic. Jones played with a lot of different defensemen on the Hawks: Jake McCabe, Connor Murphy, Jack Johnson, Calvin de Haan, and even his brother Caleb Jones, but this is the first time the Blackhawks’ bonafide number one defenseman saw a consistent partner. Jones has had his struggles with production, including this season, but he did start to get on a roll in late February, which remained until the end of the season. Vlasic played a big part in that, and Jones has also had an effect on Vlasic.

Vlasic grew into one of the best shutdown defensemen in the NHL and earned himself a six-year contract extension. In an intermission interview, he even referred to Jones as “One of the best defensemen in the league,” showing how much he has learned from him. The admiration is mutual, as Jones sang Vlasic’s praises all season, saying how “he’s going to be an unbelievable defenseman for this team for a long time.”

Jones was brought in for a reason: to help guide this team to a hopeful Stanley Cup and lead the defense. With his and Vlasic’s newfound bond and partnership, the team is getting what they acquired Jones for, and hopefully, it will pay off. Jones is under contract for six more years, and he and Vlasic will likely continue to be a leading pair. They’re even continuing their partnership at the World Championships for Team USA starting on May 10, assuming they will play together. Fun Fact: Werenski will be on the team, as well!

Overall, this is another great sign for the future. Both Vlasic and Jones were frustrated with how the season went and are eager to help turn things around. Next season should bring improved results with a defense pair that is scratching the surface.